Loom



Aug. 18, 1964 G. M. BoYEs ETAL 3,144,385

Filed Nov. 9, 1960 I 1o Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS BY 6-5026: A9. 60 YES ATTORNEY Jams: E. Wvflaal m, mum

Aug. 18, 1964 e. M. BOYES ETAL LOOM l0 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 9, 1960 INVENTORS JAM/IE5 E Wnrzsod 6.50266 7. Bore;

ATTORNEYS.

LOOM

l0 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 9, 1960 Illllllllllllllllllllllllllll Aug. 18, 1964 G. M. BOYES ETAL LOOM 10 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 9, 1960 INVENTOR5 JHMES 5? Warsaw 6-5. eel-s M. 50 55 ATTORNEYS.

Aug. 18, 1964 s. M. BOYES ETAL LOOM Filed NOV. 9, 1960 10 Sheets-Sheet 5 All ' INVENTORS Jane; E. W? r50 By saes M. 5a YE) ATTORNEYS.

g- 1964 G. M. BOYES ETAL 3,144,885

LOOM

Filed Nov. 9, 1960 10 Sheets-Sheet 6 IN V EN TOR$ James 5., WnrJa/v 650965 M. 50y! M,WW

ATTORNEYS.

Aug. 18, 1964' G; M. BOYES ETAL LOOM l0 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Nov. 9. 1960 ummy l Q R N INVENTORJ James E. Warsaw BY m AMFM ATTORNEYS.

1964 G. M. BOYES ETAL 3,144,885

LOOM

Filed Nov. 9, 1960 10 Sheets-Sheet 8 INVENTORS Jame-s E. WqrJaA/ 650E615 A7. 50 V55 g 13, 1964 G. M. BOYES ETAL 3,144,885

' LOOM Filed Nov. 9, 1960 0 Sheets-Sheet 9 INVENTORS ames E wars 65024: M. 50/5.

Mwwwm ATTORNEYS g- 1964 G. M. BOYES ETAL 3,144,885

LOOM

Filed Nov. 9, 1960 10 Sheets-Sfiet l0 IN VEN TOR) JQME! E War-501v 650:6: M. 50 v55 ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent LOOM George M. Boyes and James E. Watson, Appleton, Wis, assignors to Wisconsin Wire Works, Appleton, W1s., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Nov. 9, 1960, Ser. No. 68,290 12. Claims. (Cl. 139-141) This invention relates to a loom. It is exemplified by, but not limited to, a loom for the weaving of wire cloth.

The invention is particularly concerned with improvements in a well-known type of loom known as a Mummert-Dixon loom. In carrying out the invention, it is not necessarily to build a completely new loom, since the improvements are incorporated in parts which may be substituted in existing looms, the object being to provide for improved quality plus uniformity and greatly accelerated production.

The lay is desirably reciprocable rather than oscillatory and it carries upper and lower combs with openended teeth to guide the warp wires at the top and bottom of the shed. These combs replace the conventional reed, although a reed may be retained in proximity to the heddles if desired. The arrangement and mode of operation of the reciprocable lay beam and mounting of the combs thereon are features of the present inventi0n. Also involved is a method of loom operation such that the shuttle and lay are maintained in substantially continuous movement without appreciable dwell, the shuttle actually entering the shed at or about the time of beatup and continuing across the shed during lay retraction so that the pick is complete in the path of the beatup comb as soon as the comb reaches its retracted position, thus permitting immediate comb advance and immediate shuttle retraction.

The present invention is also concerned with the shuttle because its axis is disposed longitudinally and delivers the weft from the small end of its conical pirn. Because of the very high speed of operation, electrical controls built into the shuttle are important. These stop the loom before the filler winding is exhausted, or in the event of certain mishaps such as filler wire breakage.

Also, in order to permit of the very high speed of the improved loom structure, important changes are made in the means which effect the exchange of the shuttle at the center of the shuttle pass. The shuttle is rigidly held by a given carrier arm until the moment of exchange. Its release from one arm and its clutching engagement with the other is efiected without shock, shuttle momentum contributing to the sureness of the grip. The friction clutches employed are released completely at the moment of exchange and function free of drag to release completely and to clutch positively.

Excellent selvage is assured by the novel arrangements for the operation of edge and lift fingers, the edge fingers being yieldably mounted on the loom frame for operation synchronously with the shuttle and the lay, the lift fingers guiding the filler wire ahead of the bottom comb while the shuttle changes its direction of movement, and then retracting to enable the bight to receive the edge finger. The lift fingers are electrically connected through the filler wire with the shuttle and synchronous switching mechanism to cooperate in the functioning of the electrical protective system.

3,144,885 Patented Aug. 18, 1 964.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view in front elevation of a loom embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a view of the loom partially in side elevation and partially broken away to longitudinal section.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view in plan, the column being broken away in section on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2 and portions of the shuttle exchange mechanism also being broken away in horizontal section. 7

FIG. 4 is a greatly enlarged view taken in longitudinal section through the forward end portion of the loom on the line 4-4 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the structure shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing the lay in retracted position.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing the lay in beatup position.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary enlarged detail view in front elevation showing the separated top comb and lay comb. FIG. 9 is a fragmentary detail view showing an embodiment slightly modified from FIG. 2 and having a fixed reed adjacent the heddles.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged detail view of the shuttle as it appears in plan.

FIG. 11 is a view taken in section on line 11-11 of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a view in elevation taken from the viewpoint shown at 12-12 in FIG. 10.

FIG. 13 is a detail view taken in section on the line 13-13 of FIG. 10.

FIG. 14 is an enlarged detail view taken on line 14- 14 of FIG. 12.

FIG. 15 is a further enlarged detail view fragmentarily illustrating the core portion of the shuttle on the same section as FIG. 13.

FIG. 16 is a diagrammatic view showing the shuttle carrier arms and shuttle at the point of shuttle exchange in the shed, portions of the machine frame and cam operating mechanism for the shuttle clutches being illustrated, and parts being broken away.

FIG. 17 is a diagrammatic view showing some of the structure illustrated in FIG. 16 in relation to the operating cranks at the moment of shuttle exchange.

FIG. 18 is a view similar to FIG. 17 showing the positions of the parts as shuttle exchange is completed.

FIG. 19 is an enlarged detail view taken in section on the line 1919 of FIG. 16.

FIG. 20 is a view in transverse section on the line 2020 of FIG. 19.

FIG. 21 is a view in transverse section on the line 2121 of FIG. 19.

FIG. 22 is a view similar to FIG. 19 showing a modified embodiment.

FIG. 23 is a view taken in transverse section on the line 2323 of FIG. 22.

FIG. 24, FIG. 25, FIG. 26, FIG. 27 and FIG. 28 are and its operating mechanism being shown in section.

FIG. is a view on a further enlarged scale showing in different positions the parts of FIG. 29, portions of such parts being broken away.

FIG. 31 is a fragmentary detail View in plan of parts shown in FIGS. 29 and 30.

FIG. 32 is a detail view still further enlarged and taken on the section indicated at 32-32 in FIG. 31.

FIG. 33 is a detail view in perspective showing the lift finger cam illustrated in FIGS. 29 and 30.

FIG. 34 is a detail view of the lift finger in perspective.

FIG. 35 is an electrical diagram illustrating a portion of the wiring which is specifically novel for the purposes of the present invention.

General Features The basic organization and arrangement of the parts upon the machine frame 36 is conventional, the warp wires 37 being drawn from the warp beam 38 and passed across lease bars 39 and through the heddles 40 and 41. The woven fabric passes over the breast roll 42 and is wound on the cloth beam 43.

Conventionally, looms of this type have a lay which is pivotally supported from the column 44 by lay swords. In the present device, the lay 45 reciprocates on inclined bars 46 but the operation thereof by connecting rods 47 from cranks 48 is conventional. Similarly, the operation of the shuttle carrier arms 50 and 51 by means of connecting rods 52 and 53 from cranks 54 and 55 is conventional, but in this instance the arms operate on a fixed axis and the operating mechanism does not swing with the lay but functions in a fixed position on the column 44 as shown. The conventional actuating crank 56 operates the rack 57 to rotate the rack gear 58. Motion is communicated through shaft 59 and bevel gears at 60 to the upright shaft 61 which transmits motion through bevel gearing at 62 to the cranks 54 and 55 already mentioned.

The Lay Incorporated in the ends of the beams 45 are blocks at 65, best shown in FIGS. 29 and 31. These provide bushings 66 which slide upon the bars 46 to guide the lay 45 in its reciprocation. Projecting from the ends of the blocks are studs 67 to which the actuating links 47 are pivoted. Mounted on the lay 45 is the lay comb 70. As best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the base of this comb is fixed between a bar 71 bolted to the top of the lay and a complementary bar 72 which is anchored by a flange of clamp plate 720 bolted to the front of the lay. The dents or teeth 73 of comb are closely spaced to receive the warp wires 37 as diagrammatically shown in FIG. 8. The teeth are flat, having considerable extent longitudinally of the warp wires as shown in FIG. 4. Their sides converge to sharp curvilinear upper margins 75 between which the Warp is guided into the inter-dent spaces when the shed is reversed by the heddles. The terminal tooth 76 may be specially heavy as shown in FIG. 8.

Adjustably fixed to the lay beam 45 at each end of the lay are the forwardly and upwardly projecting arms 80 which carry pintles at 81 for the support of arms 82 which are bolted to a bar 83 upon which the top comb 85 is mounted. As shown in FIG. 8, this comb is similar to the comb 70 but conversely arranged, its teeth 86 projecting downwardly through the warp wires 37 at the top of the shed and slightly at the rear of the teeth 73 of the lay comb.

Projecting from the end of the top comb 83 are the studs 88 upon which rollers 89 are rotatably mounted. These rollers ride upon a cam track 90 at each side of the machine frame to lower and raise the top comb as the lay reciprocates forth and back, the profile of the cam track 90 being clearly shown in FIGS. 4 and 7. The different position of the top comb in the retracted position of FIG. 6 can be compared with the position of the parts in the intermediate position of the lay shown in FIG. 4 and the advanced position thereof shown in FIG. 7.

Weft-guiding lift fingers are mounted at each end of the lay, just beyond the ends of the lay comb 70. Their functioning will be described in connection with the discussion of operation of the loom. The mechanical structure is best shown in FIGS. 29 to 34.

An angled guide 96 provided with guide slots 97 and supported by a wedge-shaped block 98 is adjustably clamped to the lay. If the weft material is made of wire or other electrically conductive material, and the electrical control system later described is to be used, the guide member 96 will be insulated from the lay. A dielectric pad is shown at 99. Behind its rounded end 100, the lift finger 95 is bifurcated to receive the guide member 96. Spanning the space between its legs are the pins 101 and 102 which carry rollers 103 and 104 which operate in the slot 97 of the guide member 96. To assure proper electrical connection between the lift finger 95 and the guide member, a coiled electrically conductive pigtail 105 is connected between the lift finger and the guide member.

The rear pin 102 which mounts roller 104 is extended laterally to receive pivotal connection with the terminal 106 of a turnbuckle link which has a dielectirc barrel at 107. The other head 108 of this link is pivoted to an operating arm 109 fulcrumed at 110 on the lay and is provided at its lower end with a spherical cam follower roller 111 confined for movement in a circuitous track provided by the cam plate 115 which underlies the path of lay reciprocation. FIGS. 29 and 31 show the lift finger extended to its upper position, the cam follower 111 being disposed in the forward end portion 116 of the cam slot. Between the cam slot portion 116 and the rear cam slot portion 117, the cam slot is divided having parallel portions 118 and 119 spaced by a dividing block at 120 to which are pivoted the spring-pressed gates 121 and 122. These gates guide the cam follower 111 to traverse the slot portion 118 during the rearward movement of the lay 45 and to traverse parallel slot portion 119 during the forward movement of the lay. It is the movement laterally of the loom which operates the lift finger 95. Accordingly, the lift finger is at its raised position when the cam follower 111 is in the forward portion 116 of the slot or in the slot portion 119 aligned therewith.

As soon as the lay has moved an appreciable distance rearwardly, the gate 121 will guide the follower 111 into the portion 118 of the slot to retract the lift finger 95 and the finger remains retracted during the rest of the rearward reciprocation of the lay and until the lay has moved a short distance forwardly. Only then will the gate 122 deflect the follower 111 into portion 119 of the slot to lift the finger 95. The finger will remain elevated as shown in FIG. 29 during the rest of the forward reciprocation.

The retracted or depressed position of the finger is shown in FIG. 30. It will be understood that at the other side of the loom there is also a lift finger on the lay and similar mechanism for its operation. The respective lift fingers will function alternately to guide the filler according to the position of the shuttle at one side of the loom or the other.

The Shuttle The shuttle generically designated by reference character 125 comprises a frame 126 having laterally projecting tangs at 127 and 128 to receive the clamping connection of the shuttle carrier arms as hereinafter described. Such bars are conventionally of square cross section with tapered ends as shown. However, in the instant device, novel means of clutching these to the carrier arms is provided.

The shuttle has a pirn-receiving opening at 129 which is elongated longitudinally of the loom and is materially wider at its rear end than at its forward end to accommodate the frusto-conically shaped pirn 130 and its conical winding 131 of weft wire 132. The pirn has a core 133 upon which the dielectric large rear head 134 and the smaller and rounded forward head 135 are fixed. If the core 133 is conductive, it has a dielectric lining 136. At an intermediate point on this lining, there is an electrically conductive band 138 which may be made of bare wire wound tightly about the rubber or other dielectric lining 136 and having a loop 137 extending downwardly through the core 133 and insulated therefrom by dielectric grommets 139. The bight 141) of this wire is looped around a contact 141 fixed in a dielectric plug 142 in the core 133.

The entire pirn 130 is detachably mounted on a tubular support 145 which has its base portion 146 pivoted to the shuttle 125 on a pintle 147 which permits the tubular support to be swung upwardly to the dotted line position shown in FIG. 11 to discharge an empty pirn or receive a loaded one. A spring detent 148 engages the base of the support to releasably position the support for holding the pirn within the opening 129 of the shuttle in the position shown in full lines in FIGS. and 11. For holding the pirn fully seated on the support, additional spring detents 149 are carried by brackets 150 in positions to engage the peripheral groove 151 of the larger end 134 of the pirn (see FIGS. 12 and 14).

Within the support 145, suitable insulation shown at 152 confines and guides a pair of resiliently yieldable electrical contacts 154 and 155. Contact 154 is urged by spring 156 forwardly into a position for engaging the contact 141 within the core of the pirn. Contact 155 is urged rearwardly to project slightly from the shuttle as shown in FIGS. 10, 11 and 35. The functioning of the electrical parts described will be discussed later in describing the operation of the device. Briefly, however, it may be observed that they provide an electrical connection between the conductive weft wire 132 and the contact 155, which connection is broken whenever there is less than one-half of the bottom layer of the weft wire re maining on the pirn. The breaking of the circuit consequent upon reaching this point of near exhaustion of weft wire from the pirn is made to stop the loom.

Weft wire 132 is specially wound upon the pirn to provide more layers of wire at the larger end of the pirn than at the smaller end, thus taking full advantage of available space within the shed to provide a maximum amount of wire on each pirn. The wire is withdrawn over the rounded end 135 of the pirn and passes through the guide 157 shown in FIG. 11 and thence between the conventional brake disks 158 of the shuttle. Thence the wire issues through the feed slot 159 between the guides 160 which are best shown in FIG. 10.

Shuttle Carrier Arm Exchange While the square tangs 127, 128 with which the shuttle 130 is provided are generally conventional, the mode of releasably connecting these tangs alternately with the respective carrier arms is novel. The latches, hooks and other positive detents used in the past require careful adjustment and precise operation and cannot be depended upon to function with certainty at high speeds. The acceleration in operation of the present loom required a new form of clutch which would be certain in its operation without requiring that the parts be precisely in given relative positions to make such operation possible. Failure of proper transfer can result in leaving the shuttle free within the shed with consequent destruction of the warp. The apparatus herein disclosed has been operated in excess of 100 picks per minute with complete success. It has the advantage of secure gripping action regardless of minor misadjustments. It also achieves exchange of the shuttle from one arm to the other virtually without shock. I

Momentum and inertia of the shuttle are advantages which contribute to successful operation instead of being arms 51 and 51 is tubular. Each ends in a head such as that shown at in FIGS. 19 and 21. This head provides a socket which is fitted to, and receives, one of the laterally projecting tangs 127 or 128 of the shuttle 125. In the head, in each case, is a wedge block 166 having a beveled surface as shown at 167 in FIG. 19. Interposed between this surface and the path of movement of the tang 127 or 123 is a wedge 170 which projects forward from the head 171 of the clutch operating rod 172 which extends through the shuttle arm 50 or 51. At the back of its end portion 165, the arm 50 or 51 has its upper surface slotted as shown at 173 in FIGS. 19 and 20. The head 171 has channeled portions 174 and 175 loosely guided on the margins defining the slot 173.

The operating rod 172 projects from the end of its arm 51? or 51 and within the arm is provided with a spring seat collar 176 subject to the action of a compression spring 177 wihch urges the rod and wedge 170 at its end forwardly toward the complementary wedge block 166. Periodically the rod 172 is retracted against bias of spring 177. For this purpose, a bracket 179 at the outer end of the arm pivotally supports a bell crank 180 which has its bearing portion 181 confined between collars 182 and 183 on the rod. At the other end of the bell crank is a cam follower 185 in the path of which cam 186 is fixed to the frame of the loom. When the cam follower 185.

rides onto cam 136, the rod 172 is retracted to withdraw the wedge 170 from between the wedge block 166 and the respective tang 127 or 128 of the shuttle. When the wedge is withdrawn, the shuttle is released from the arm.

When the wedge is engaged between the wedge block and the tang, the shuttle is securely clutched to the arm.

The two arms 59 and 51 move inwardly toward the center of the loom and outwardly from the center approximately concurrently but their movement is not in unison due to the geometry of the operating linkage.

In the general description of the loom, reference has been made to the fact that the arms 50 and 51 are operated by links 52 and 53 from cranks 54 and 55. Reference to FIG. 1 will show that when the crank 55 is in substantial alignment with the link 53, the crank 54 will be at quite a large obtuse angle with respect to the link 52. A given angular movement of the cranks 54 and 55 will result in very little reciprocation of arm 51 as compared with a much more substantial reciprocation of arm 541*. However, in the position of the parts shown in FIG. 1, the shuttle carrier arms are fully retracted and this differential movement is of little consequence.

FIGS. 17 and 18 show the positions of the parts at the time of exchange. In the FIG. 17 position of the parts, the cranks 54 and 55 have changed positions as compared with FIG. 1 so that the links 52 and 53 now extend across the center line. The ends of the shuttle carrier arms 51 and 51 are now fully advanced so that the heads 165 at the ends thereof are both in full engagement with the tangs 127 and 128 of shuttle 130. However, neither of the arms has any clutching connection with the shuttle at this point, since both of the cam followers 185 have ridden onto the respective cams 186, whereby both of the wedges 170 are retracted. The shuttle is therefore free for transfer from one arm to the other.

The determination of which carrier arm will be clutched to the shuttle will depend upon the direction in which the cranks 54 and 55 rotate from the position shown in FIG. 17. Assuming that the direction of rotation is counterclockwise, as shown in FIG. 18, the carrier arm 51 will be the one to be clutched with the shuttle. This is due to the fact that in perhaps twenty degrees of rotation of the cranks 54 and 55 from the FIG. 17 position of the parts, the cam follower 185 at the end of arm 50 will still be on its cam 186 while the corresponding cam follower at the end of arm 51 will have moved from its cam, thereby releasing the compression spring from that arm to actuate the clutch wedge for connecting arm 51 with the tang 128 of the shuttle.

It will be apparent that the shuttle never stops completely. In the position of the parts in FIG. 18 both arms are moving from left to right. Arm 50 has nearly stopped but the shuttle has been declutched and its momentum carries it forward with arm 50. Relative movement has been shown at the ends of the arms in FIG. 18. Such movement is calculated to assist rather than to detract from the clutching operation as above described. Moreover, precision of position of the parts is not at all essential because the clutching action can take effect anywhere along the length of either of the tangs 127 or 128 and in any case the stroke of the carrier arm is sufficient to remove the shuttle from the shed in the position of the parts shown in FIG. 1.

At this point, the direction of oscillation of the cranks 54 and 55 is reversed by reversal of the movement of the actuating rack 57. Consequently, when exchange takes place in the opposite direction, the relative position of the links 52 and 53 with respect to the cranks 54 and 55 is the opposite of that shown in FIG. 18 and the geometry or the offset of cranks 54 and 55 from the path of movement of arms 50 and 51 then causes the clutching wedge of arm 50 to move forward in advance of the movement of the corresponding wedge of arm 51. Thus, the clutch at the end of arm 51 is completely released and free at the time the clutch at the end of arm 50 engages, and vice versa.

The construction shown in FIGS. 22 and 23 is identical to that above described with the exception that the wedge 1700 is relieved to receive clutch rollers 1701. The net result is the same. When the rollers are advanced to wedging position against the inclined surface 167 of wedge block 166, the rollers force the clutch wedge 1700 against the bar 127 or 128 as the case may be.

In every instance, the shuttle is completely declutched in the center of the loom from the arm with which it has been clutched against movement toward the center. In every instance, direction of rotative oscillation of the cranks 54 and 55 is such that the arm which is to clutch the shuttle for moving it out of the shed initiates its movement well in advance of the arm which has brought the shuttle into the shed, whereby the wedge is spring-engaged to provide a certain and immediate connection of the shuttle to the proper arm while it is still entirely free of the other arms. This is exemplified in FIG. 18 which shows the tang 127 in course of retraction from the head 165 at the end of arm 150, while the tang 128 of the shuttle is fully seated in the head 165 at the end of arm 51. It is understood that the invention generically contemplates any appropriate form of clutch which can be engaged and disengaged in the manner described to effect transfer of the shuttle with certainty and reasonable precision but without requiring exactly correlated positions of the parts such as have heretofore been necessary in the use of latches or hooks.

Selvage Formation Contributing to selvage formation is the lift finger already described which is mounted on the lay and tensions and straightens the weft as the lay approaches beatup at the cloth face. Cooperating therewith and assisting in the formation of the selvage edge in a manner generally known are the edge fingers 190 disposed at opposite sides of the loom. In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the edge fingers 190 are mounted on levers 191 pivoted to the loom by means of bolts 192 and having fingers 193 engageable with adjustable stops 194 to limit the oscillation of the arms and fingers subject to bias of spring 195. The fingers desirably are pointed and slightly curved rearwardly as shown in FIGS. 4, 6 and 7.

FIG. 4 shows an edge finger 190 in its advanced or lower position in which it is engaged in the end loop or selvage of the weft. The finger remains in this position in all retracted positions of the lay, including the fully retracted position in which the lay is illustrated in FIG. 6. However, as the lay advances to the beatup point along the cloth face, as shown in FIG. 7, the beveled cam surface 198 on the plate 720 at the front of the lay engages beneath the cam follower roller 197 on the lever 191 thereby tilting the lever 191 against the bias of spring 195 to lift the finger 190 from the selvage. When the lay is retracted, following beatup, the finger moves back into position, its curved and pointed form facilitating its reentry.

In the diagrammatic views, FIGS. 24 to 28, the movement of the fingers 190 has had to be indicated laterally rather than vertically. In FIG. 2, the weft 132 extends from left to right diagonally from the lefthand edge finger 190 to the withdrawn shuttle 125 which is at the right. The lay 45 is fully retracted. The lift fingers are both retracted.

In the initial forward movement of lay 45 from the position of FIG. 24 to the position of FIG. 25, the cam followers 111 which actuate the lift fingers 95 will be deflected by gates 122 into the portions 119 of their respective cam slots (FIG. 31) to lift the respective fingers 95. The lifting of such fingers is shown in the diagrammatic views by the foreshortening thereof. The lifting of the finger at the left of the lay as viewed in FIG. 25 is immaterial, but the lifting of finger 95 at the righthand end of the lay has caused such finger to engage and deflect the weft or chute wire 132 with consequent tensioning and straightening thereof in the shed. At the lefthand side of FIG. 25, it will be observed that the bight 1320 of the weft wire is held by edge finger 190.

In the continued movement of the lay to the beatup position shown in FIG. 26, both of the edge fingers 190 are retracted. In practice, this retraction occurs vertically in the manner already described and illustrated in FIG. 7. The weft 132 is still drawn tightly about the lift finger 95 and the shuttle has just entered the shed. The shuttle is making its pass during beatup.

FIG. 27 shows the lay 45 starting back from the cloth face or beatup point 200. Exchange has taken place, the shuttle 125 having been transferred from the carrier arm 51 to the carrier arm 50. The edge fingers have both been advanced to their lower positions. The one at the left is not functioning at this stage but the one at the right in FIG. 27 has engaged the weft 32 and is retaining the beatup portion of the weft in position. The weft wire runs from the edge finger 190 to the shuttle, the lift fingers 95 having been retracted in the initial rearward movement of the lay. Retraction is effected by the gate 121 (FIG. 31) which deflects cam follower 111 as shown in FIG. 30.

FIG. 28 shows the lay 45 fully retracted and the shuttle 125 fully withdrawn from the shed at the left. Retraction of the lay is downward as well as rearward due to the oblique angle of the guide bars 46. The lift fingers 95 being already retracted, the weft has slipped over the comb 73 and is now drawn taut between the shuttle 125 and the edge finger 190 which is at the right as viewed in FIG. 28.

This completes a half cycle of operation. In the next half cycle, the steps are repeated with the exception that the movement of the shuttle is now from left to right as viewed in these diagrammatic drawings.

It is found that when the heddles 40 and 41 are reversed in position, the various warp wire strands are transferred smoothly from the teeth of comb 86 to the teeth of comb 73 and vice versa, thus making it unnecessary to use conventional reeds 4t and 41. However, a reed 202 may be used immediately in advance of the heddles, if desired, such an arrangement being diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 9.

Electrical Controls Reference is made to the wiring diagram shown in FIG. 35 which illustrates how the electrical control system takes advantages of the fact that the cloth woven in the loom chosen to exemplify the invention is a wire cloth made of electrically conductive material. The

electrical controls function by using the conductivity of the weft 132 which is grounded at various points on the loom as indicated by the ground symbol 204 in FIG. 35. While the weft is grounded to the loom, it is not grounded to the pirn. As already described in connection with FIGS. to 15, the pirn core is insulated and its heads 134 and 135 are made of dielectric material so that there is no electrical connection to the grounded weft except at the midpoint of the winding next to the core where the weft contacts the coils 138 which are compressed into the rubber insulation and connected to the contact 141 which presses against the complementary contact 154 to energize the contact 155 that projects from the end of the shuttle.

The motor 205 which drives the loom is powered through a relay 206 which has a holding coil 207 controlled by a normally open starting switch 208 and an armature actuated holding switch 209. It will be understood that the armature and the contacts 206, 208 are biased to open the motor circuit except when the holding coil 207 is energized to close the circuit against such bias.

The circuit to the holding coil 207 includes a normally closed stop switch 210 and a normally open relay switch 211 having a closing coil 215. These switches are in series with each other and both are in series with the parallel-connected starting switch 208 and holding relay switch 209. If either of the switches 210 or 211 is opened, the relay will be tripped and the motor 205 will stop, thereby interrupting operation of the loom.

The relay switch 211 is closed by a relay coil 215 en ergized by power source 215 which, in practice, is a twelve volt source either AC. or DC. The line 217 from the source 216 through the relay coil 215 continues at 218 to a ground which may be provided either at 219 (through the filler wire 132) or at 220. The line is con nected to the filler wire only during such time as the filler wire is engaged with one or another of the lift fingers 95. The branch line 221 leads to the respective lift fingers in parallel, connection being made through the insulated cam 96 as clearly shown in FIGS. 29, 30 and 33.

If the wire 132 loses its connection to one or the other of the lift fingers 95 during the period when such connection is supposed to exist, the circuit through the source 216 and relay coil 215 will lose its ground at 219 and the interruption of this circuit will cause relay 211 to open immediately thereby stopping the motor 205 of the loom.

The ground shown at 220 is an alternate ground which is effective only during the period when the lift fingers 95 are not supposed to be in contact with the weft. This occurs during the retraction of the lay 45 with the lift fingers 95 in the position of the parts shown in FIGS. 24 and 28. The cam 222 located at any point on the loom to operate in synchronism with the lay is arranged for periodic actuation of the switch contact 223 toclose the circuit to the ground 220 during the aforesaid interval when the weft is out of contact with one or another of the insulated lift fingers 95.

The other side of the power source 216 is normally connected by conductor 224 to the ground 225 through the normally closed switch 226 which has a cam actuator at 227 that is also a switch. The actuator 227 is in the path of the contact 155 of the shuttle 125. When the shuttle moves from the full line position of FIG. 35 to the left past the position shown in dotted lines, its contact 155 will engage the switch actuator 227 thereby momentarily opening switch 226 and breaking the circuit to the ground 225 but, at the same time, establishing a new ground through the actuator 227 and the contact 155 and the weft wire wound on the pirn provided at least a half of the first layer of weft wire is left on the pirn. As previously explained, if the Weft wire is sufliciently exhausted so that less than a half of the inner layer remains, then the weft will fail to make contact through the pirn coil 138 with the external shuttle contact 155 and the 10 circuit will be broken. In any such case, the armature 211 will be released by the de-energization of coil 215 and again the circuit to the loom motor 205 will be interrupted and the loom will come to rest.

Thus, regardless of whether there is misfunctioning due to breakage of the weft wire or failure of the weft wire to engage the lift finger or whether there is no misfunctioning but merely an impending need for changing the pirn, in any event, the loom will automatically be stopped.

Summary of Operation It is, of course, known to have divided upper and lower combs and to dispense with lay swords. In the operation herein disclosed, however, advantage is taken of this arrangement to reverse the shed before beatup and to beat up forwardly of the crossed shed and to initiate shuttle traverse of the shed while the beatup operation is still in progress. The present loom and method greatly accelerate cloth production not only by maintaining the shuttle in virtually continuous operation but, at the same time, by accelerating the rate of shuttle movement to an extent not heretofore thought practicable. The increased rate of travel has been made feasible by an exchange mechanism as above described which completely releases the shuttle from one of its propelling arms while the two arms are still moving toward each other, thereby, in effect, using the shuttle momentum to drive it securely into clamped engagement with the other arm. At the time the shuttle tang is seated in the receiving clutch socket of the receiving arm, the receiving arm will have started its withdrawal movement in a direction to re-activate its clutch or wedge. The arm from which the shuttle is delivered is actually still in motion in the same direction as the receiving arm. Thus, the transfer is effected virtually without shock and in one continuous flow of movement with no dwell of the shuttle. Moreover, the length of the clutch parts of the socket and the tang of the shuttle is such that secure engagement can be elfected within quite a substantial range of relative positions instead of requiring fixed point latching as was previously necessary in positive shuttle propelling devices of this type. From the standpoint of loom operation, the friction clutch mechanism disclosed is just as precise as a positive latch and it has the advantage of accommodating minor changes in relative position without interfering in the slightest with the positiveness of the operation. It is more reliable at high speeds than previously known transfer mechanism.

As the lay moves forwardly toward the beatup point,

the weft is tensioned by the appropriate lift finger on the lay and the shuttle inward movement is immediately commenced. The shed will have reversed and the shuttle will have entered the reversed shed at the time the beatup occurs and will continue across the shed as the lay is being retracted. In the initial retractive movement of the lay, the edge fingers spring down to engage the bight of the newly beatup strand of weft, while the lift finger is withdrawn to free the weft for proper deposit of the next strand within the shed.

In the event that the winding of weft on the pirn of the shuttle becomes nearly exhausted, or in the event of and back through the shed without substantial dwell, said method including reversing the shed and advancing the shuttle into the reversed shed to lay a strand of weft 1 1 therethrough while the beatup means is still acting upon the strand last laid in the shed.

2. The method recited in claim 1 as practiced in a loom having carrier arms for the positive control of shuttle movement through the shed, said method including transferring the shuttle from connection with one arm to connection with the other in the shed during continued shuttle movement.

3. The method recited in claim 2 including the step of freeing both arms from the shuttle during its continued movement, and accelerating the movement of the arm which is receiving shuttle connection while decelerating the movement of the arm which is transferring shuttle connection.

4. In a loom, the subcombination with a shuttle provided with oppositely extending tangs, of relatively reciprocable shuttle carrier arms having terminal sockets in which the tangs are respectively receivable, means guiding said arms for movement, means for reciprocating said arms in opposite directions, and friction clutch means in the respective sockets for selectively connecting to one of said arms the shuttle tang engaged in the respective socket, the friction clutch means comprising elongated frictionally engageable surfaces, wedge means for rendering such surfaces active, and remote control means extending along said arm and externally provided with a mechanism for operating one of said surfaces along said wedge means and to and from frictional engagement with the other of said surfaces.

5. In a loom, the subcombination with a shuttle provided with a projecting tang having a friction clutch face, of a shuttle carrier arm having a socket provided with friction clutch means complementary to said face, a wedging surface converging toward said face in the direction of the socket, and means for actuating said friction clutch means along said surface toward a position of wedging engagement with the clutch face of the tang.

6. The device of claim 5 in further combination with an operating rod extending longitudinally of the arm and connected with said clutch means, said actuating means comprising a spring connected between said arm and said rod and biasing said rod toward the socket and in a direction to effect clutching of the arm socket to the shuttle tang.

7. In a loom, a shuttle and transfer mechanism comprising a shuttle having oppositely projecting tangs, shuttle carrier arms having means guiding them for movement and each provided with a terminal socket for one of said tangs, clutch means in the terminal socket for engagement with a tang therein, each such clutch means having an operating rod extending along its respective arm, fixed cam means adjacent the path of reciprocation of the respective arms, cam follower means coacting with respect to cam means and connected with respect to the rods for the disengagement of respective clutch means from said tangs when the cam follower means encounters the respective cams, cranks offset from the path of reciprocation of said arms and having connecting rods connecting them with the respective arms for the reciprocation of said arms in advancing and withdrawing directions, and means for rotating said cranks first in one direction and then in the other between positions in which said connecting rods are extended and positions in which said connecting rods are crossed in the reciprocation of said arms, the direction of rotation of the cranks from the position in which the connecting rods are crossed constituting means for withdrawing one of said arms more rapidly than the other, movement of said one arm in a direction of withdrawal disengaging its cam follower means from its respective cam whereby to effect clutch engagement of said one arm with said shuttle, the socket at the end of each arm having a fixed wedge surface opening away from the end of the arm and the clutch comprising complementary wedge means for engaging said surface and movable outwardly along the respective arm toward f2 clamping engagement with the shuttle tang engaged in the socket, and means biasing said last complementary wedge means for such outward movement, the clutch action upon the tang of the shuttle being frictionally effective throughout a range of relative positions of the shuttle tang respecting the arm.

8. In a loom comprising a frame having a breast roll, means for guiding warp strands toward the breast roll, heddles for deflecting selected strands upwardly and downwardly respecting the breast roll, and means for picking weft through said shed, the combination with guide bars at opposite sides of the shed extending obliquely toward the breast roll in general conformity with the lower warp strands of the shed, a lay having bearing means reciprocable upon said bars and means for actuating it toward and from the breast roll, a beatup comb mounted on the lay and having teeth between which lower warp strands of said shed are disposed, bracket means connected with the lay, comb supporting arms pivoted to the bracket means, a second comb having downwardly directed teeth offset from the teeth of the lay and between which upper warp strands of the shed are disposed, cam follower means connected with the ends of the said upper comb, and a cam track upon which said cam follower means is operable, said track including a forward portion approximately parallel to the guide bars and a rearward portion extending obliquely upwardly away from the breast roll, and means for the reciprocation of the lay.

9. The device of claim 8 in further combination with bracket means adjacent the forward end of a guide bar, an edge finger lever pivoted to the bracket means, an adjustable stop in the path of a portion of said lever for determining a position thereof, means biasing said lever toward said stop, a cam surface on the lay positioned to engage a portion of said lever to move it away from said stop about its pivotal connection with the bracket means, and an edge finger adjustably mounted on the lever.

10. In a loom, the combination with a lay, of a lift finger mounted for movement on the lay, means for supporting and guiding the lift finger for such movement, a lever connected with the lift finger for effecting such movement, a cam follower connected with the lever for the operation thereof, and means providing a gated circuitous cam track in which the cam follower is engaged, said means including mechanism for acting on the cam follower to hold said finger in an elevated position during forward movement of the lay and to retract said finger to a depressed position during rearward movement of the lay.

11. The device of claim 10 in further combination with means for electrically insulating said finger from the lay, a lay-driving motor, a motor controlling relay having electrical connections to said finger, and means including said relay and connections for stopping said motor in the event that the said finger is not properly acted upon by a weft strand.

12. In a loom having warp strand guide means including beatup teeth mounted on a movable lay, heddle means for establishing a warp strand shed, and means for actuating the heddle means to reverse the shed, the combination of a shuttle having a weft strand pirn, and means for delivering the shuttle forth and back through the shed for depositing weft strand therein, said means including arms having means guiding them for reciprocation toward and from each other through the shed, means for detachably clutching the shuttle to the respective arms, and crank means offset from the path of movement of the arms and having opposing cranks and connecting rods therefrom to said arms, and means for rotating the cranks first in one direction and then the other to effect reciprocation of said arms, the offset of said cranks from the path of movement of said arms initiating the withdrawal movement of one of said arms at a rate faster than the rate of withdrawal of the other of said arms, and clutch 113 releasing means controlled by the position of the arms for declutching the respective arms from the shuttle, and means for causing the clutch means to re-engage the shuttle upon initiation of withdrawal movement from the shed, the clutch means comprising a friction clutch at the end of each arm, the shuttle having a tang and the arm having a socket in which the tang is detachably receivable, the clutch means cooperating with said socket to retain the shuttle tang therein when the clutch engages, the clutch means including a wedge for which the arm socket provides a complementary wedging surface, the said wedge and tang being securely engageable in a substantial range of relative positions whereby accuracy of registration of a given point of the tang with a given point of the clutch socket is not required.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 773,396 Kintzing Oct. 25, 1904 845,345 Gendron Feb. 26, 1907 1,925,044 Briggs Aug. 29, 1933 2,085,455 Sigel June 29, 1937 2,180,831 Libby Nov. 21, 1939 2,220,924 Von Holtz Nov. 12, 1940 2,573,820 Wickwire Nov. 6, 1951 2,573,821 Wickwire Nov. 6, 1951 

1. A METHOD OF OPERATING A LOOM HAVING MEANS FOR FORMING A SHED OF WARP AND HAVING A SHUTTLE RECIPROCABLE THROUGH THE SHED FOR LAYING WEFT STRANDS THERETHROUGH AND HAVING MEANS FOR BEATING UP EACH SUCCESSIVE STRAND OF WEFT, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEP OF MAINTAINING THE SHUTTLE IN SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS OPERATION FORTH AND BACK THROUGH THE SHED WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL DWELL, SAID METHOD INCLUDING REVERSING THE SHED AND ADVANCING THE SHUTTLE INTO THE REVERSED SHED TO LAY A STRAND OF WEFT THERETHROUGH WHILE THE BEATUP MEANS IS STILL ACTING UPON THE STRAND LAST LAID IN THE SHED. 